Knitted fabric and method of manufacturing the same



Aug. 26, 1941. E. HUGHES 2,253,955

KNITTED FABRIC AND METHOD MANUFACTURING THE SAME Filed Feb. 8, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

[s rE/P #06f/E Mi A i A ug. 26, 1941.- E. HUGHES 2,253,956

KNITTED FABRIC AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME Filed Feb.` 8, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Es TEE /UG//Es BY may@ 4 TOR/VE V5 Patented Aug'. 26, 1941 KNITTED FABRIC AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME Ester Hughes, New York, N. Y.. assignor lto No-Run Corporation, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application February 8, 1941, SerialA No. 378,008

Claims.

This invention relates to knitted fabrics and methods of manufacturing. the same. The invention refers more particularly to so-called nonrun fabrics which must be'so knitted that the breakage of the thread will not cause the formation of a run extending throughout' the fabric.

An object of the present invention is the provision of a runproof knitted fabric which is particularly suitable for hosiery, and which is of light weight and texture.

Another object is the provision of a simple and inexpensive method of manufacturing runproof knitted fabrics which do not differ in any marked degree either in appearance or in elasticity and exibility from plain knitted goods commonly employed in" the manufacture of hosiery. f

A. further object is the provision -of a knitted fabric of the anti-run type which can be made at high speed, either tubular or ilat, and either by the hand needle method or by machinery.

Yet another object of the present invention is the provision of a non-run knitted fabric which has a noveland ornamental appearance and a relatively smooth outer surface, and which offers substantial resistance to the extension of a run resulting from the breakage of one of vthe loops constituting the fabric.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent in the course of the, following specification.

In accomplishing the objects of the present in vention, it was found desirable to provide a knitted fabric having twisted or turned loops, so that the legs of such loops cross each other close to the bight of a loop of a preceding course. 'I'he twisted loops .may constitute each alternate course of the fabric, or each course 'of the fabric may consist of suchtwisted loops.

I found that in the case of the rupture of the thread of a loop, the crossing legs of a loop in a preceding course and the same Wale, cooperate with the adjacent thread portions to tie the ends of the ruptured loop as a pull is being exerted upon the fabric, with the result that an extension of the run is effectively prevented.

The invention will appear more clearly from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings showing, by way of example, preferred embodi- Jments of the inventive idea.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic enlarged front view of a fabric made in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

`Figure 2 is a diagrammatic fragmentary front view on an enlarged scale, illustrating the manner'in which a run is prevented after the rupture of a loop.

Figure 3 is a. diagrammatic perspective view illustrating a method of producing the fabric shown in Figure 1 by hand knitting; and

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic front view illustrating another fabric made in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

Figure 1 of the drawings illustrates diagrammatically a piece of knitted fabric I0 which may be knit by hand on the usual hand-knitting needles II and `I2 (Fig. 3), or which may be knitted upon circular or at knitting machines, wherein the yarn is4 delivered to a series of needlesl which, in conjunction with .other accessory devices, draw yarn into stitches to form course after course of knitted fabric.

As shown in Figure 1, the fabric includes wales I9 to 23, plain courses I3 to I5`and courses I6 to I8 consisting of twisted loops.

In tracing the formation of oneof the twisted-1 loop courses, for instance the'course I1, it is apparent that the loop 24 which is situated in the Wale I9, consists of a bight 25 and two legs v26 and 21. The bight 25 extends over 'the legs 28 and 29 of a loop 30 situated in the same wale I9, but in the following course I4 consisting of loops of the usual type.

The legs 26 and 21 of the loop 24 cross each other closely to the bight 3| of a loop 32 situated in the preceding course I3, consisting of plain knitted loops. 'I'he left-hand leg 26 of the loop 24 (looking in the direction of Figure l) extends overthe leg 21 and under thebight 3i of the loop 32. Then the leg 26 continues in the form of a downwardly extending bight 31 extending over the right-hand leg 34 of the loop 32 and the left-hand leg 35 of the loop 36 which are all situated inthe preceding course I3.

The bight 31 is continued as the right-hand leg 38 of the loop 33 which is situated in the course I1 next to the loop 24. The leg 38 extends under the bight 39 of the loop 36 in the course I3 and also under the left-hand leg do of the loop 33 which crosses the leg 3B; the leg d0 extends through the loop 36 to form thev following downwardly extending bight 4I embracing adjacent legs of the loops 36 and 42 in the course I3. This arrangement is repeated throughout the course I1 and in similar coursesl I6, I8, etc.

The course I4 which follows the course I1, is the usual plain knitted 4course so that, for instance, its loop 30 has two legs 26'and 29 which loop legs.

extend under the bight 25 of the loop 24 in a preceding course I1, while the bight 43 of the loop 38 extends over the crossing legs 44 and 45 of a loop 46 situated in the same wale I9 and in the subsequent course I8. Other loops of the course I4 and of similar courses I3, I 5, etc., are arranged in the same manner'.

It is thus apparent that the fabric I consists of plain knitted courses I3, I4, I5 situated between courses I6, i1, I8 provided with crossing The courses I6, I1, I8, may be also described as consisting of uniformly twisted or turned loops.

Therefore, the knitting method in accordance with the present invention consists in forming a plain knitted course, such as the course I3, and suspending the loops thereof upon twisted loops of the following course, such as the course il, .whereupon the twisted loops are suspended upon straight loops of the next course, and so forth.

A method of knitting the fabric I0 is illustrated diagrammatically in Figure 3, which shows the formation of the fabric I0 by hand knitting, namely, by the use of the usual knitting. needles Ii and i2.

Figure 3 shows twisted loops 41, 48 and 49 of a course 50. Loops 5I, 52 and 53 of the following plain knitted .course 54 carry the loops 41, i8 and 49, respectively, so that transverse rows of knitted stitches are formed. The twisting of a loop 55 carrying the loop 53 and situated on the needle II, is accomplished by Ipulling the leg ,58 of the loop 55 which is situated behind the needle II (looking in the direction of Figure 3) by the needle I2 to the right of and behind the other leg 51 which normally would have been engaged by the needle I2. The needle I2, after being moved behind the needle II and after engaging therear leg 58 of a loop 55, receives a twisted loop, and by repeating this procedure a course of twisted loops, such as a course I8, I1 or I8 of Figure 1, is formed upon the needle I2.

l While Figure 3 illustrates the formation of a fabric III by manualmeans, the same twisting of the loops may be conveniently accomplished on knitting machines of the type now in use for the manufacture 0f hosiery.

A Figure 2 shows the manner in which the knitted fabric I0 prevents the extension of a run. It is assumed that the rupture has taken place at the point 58 (Fig. 1), namely, in the leg 28 of a loop 30 situated in the course I4 and the wale I9. The pull on the fabric will then cause a contraction of the loop 24 situated directly belowthe loop 30. The legs 21 and 28 of the loop 24 will spread outwardly while the bight 25 of the loop 24 will be drawn substantially tightly over 'the legs 28 and 29 of the broken loop 38 and will bring these legs closer to the bight 3I ofthe loop 32 in the course I3. Thus the bight 25, by holding tightly the legs 28 and 29 and by pressing them against the bight 3|, will result in the aggregation of thread at one place in the fabric, which serves substantially as a knot and which effectively prevents the spreading of the run.

The fabric 50 shown in Figure 4 consists of courses 6I, 52, etc., each of which is substantially similar to the other and consists of twisted loops B3. Plain knit courses are entirely eliminated in this fabric, so that a bight of each loop of the knitted fabric is situated next to a pair of intersecting legs of :i loop in the subsequent course. It is apparent that, in the case of any rupture ot a loop of this fabric, the bight holding the ruptured' loop will be also drawn together in the manner shown in Figure 2thereby preventing the spreading of the run.

It is apparent that the speciilc illustrations shown above have been given by way of illustration, and not by way of limitation, and that the articles and the methods above described are subject to Wide variation and modification without departing from the scope or intent of the invention. All of such variations and modifications are to be included within the scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A knitted fabric comprising courses of loops each of which includes a bight and two adjoining legs, the legs of the loops constituting each alternate course only of the fabric crossing each other close to the bight of a loop in a preceding course to cause the twisting of said loops.

2. A knitted fabric comprising plain knit courses and courses consisting of twisted loops and alternating with said plain knit courses, the two legs of each of the twisted loops crossing each other close to the bight of a loop situated in the same Wale and the preceding plain knit course.

3. A method of hand knitting by the use of two pointed needles on one of which the stitches are formed successively, said method comprising pulling a leg of the last loop on the first-mentioned needle of each alternate course only across and behind the other leg of that loop to form a twisted loop on the second-mentioned needle.

4. The method of knitting a fabric which comprises forming rows of knitted stitches and twisting the loops oi' each alternate transverse rowv only of said stitches prior to the formationof a succeeding row.

5. A method of hand knitting by the use of two pointedv needles on one of which the stitches are formed successively, said method comprising forming transverse rows of stitches by plain knitting and forming alternating rows of twisted loops by pulling a leg of the last loop on the nrstmentioned needleia'cross and Ibehind the other leg of that loop to form a twisted loop on the second-mentioned needle.

ES'I'ER HUGHES. 

